The story was written in Bormio, a city in the Italian Alps, near the border with Switzerland. On this Saturday (14), Lucas Pinheiro Braathen claimed Brazil’s first medal in a Winter Olympics. And it was gold right away. The skier won the giant slalom event at the Milan and Cortina Games.
The giant slalom consists of two runs on a course with poles planted in the snow, called “gates,” separated by about 25 meters. The skier must pass between them. The one with the lowest total time wins.
Born in Oslo, the capital of Norway, but with a Brazilian mother, Lucas completed the runs in 2min25s, finishing 58 hundredths ahead of the Swiss Marco Odermatt, who took silver. Bronze also went to a Swiss athlete, Loic Meillard.
Lucas took the lead in the first run, completing the course in 1min13s92. Despite posting only the 11th best time in the following run (1min11s08), the mark was enough for the Brazilian to stay ahead of the Swiss Odermatt and Meillard.
Background
At 25 years old, Lucas represented Norway until 2023, when he announced he would stop competing. He took part in the Beijing Winter Olympics in China in 2022 as a Norwegian athlete, but did not complete the events he entered.
In 2024, he reversed his retirement plans and approached Brazil. The following year, he began representing his mother’s homeland, securing historic podium finishes in Alpine Skiing World Cup stages, culminating in the unprecedented gold in Bormio this Saturday.
Before Lucas, Brazil’s best result in Winter Olympics was by Isabel Clark. At the Turin Games, also in Italy 20 years ago, the Rio native finished ninth in snowboard cross.
Another to compete in Saturday’s event was Giovanni Ongaro. Also the son of a Brazilian mother, but born in Clusone, Italy, he totaled 2min34s15 in the runs, finishing in 31st position.
Brazil at the Games
Saturday’s gold may have been only the first medal for Brazil in Milan-Cortina.
On Monday (16), starting at 6 a.m. (Brasília time), it will be the turn of the slalom, an event similar to the “giant” version, with the difference that the distance between the poles is shorter (about 13 meters).
In addition to Lucas and Giovanni, Brazil will be represented by Rio native Chrisitan Soevik, another son of a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother.
Lucas Pinheiro Gets Emotional After Gold in Milan: “Nothing is Impossible”
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen entered the history of Brazilian sports by winning the country’s first medal in a Winter Olympics edition. The gold in the alpine skiing giant slalom was secured on Saturday (14) in Milan-Cortina, after two decisive runs that placed him ahead of the event’s main favorites.
In an interview with SporTV, the skier could not contain his emotion when commenting on the result that marked his career under the Brazilian flag, officially adopted in mid-2024.
“Inexplicable. It’s totally inexplicable. I have no way to put words to my sensations right now,” he stated, right after the title confirmation.
Son of a Brazilian mother and born in Switzerland, Braathen emphasized that the achievement could surpass the sporting result. “With everyone watching there in Brazil, following me, rooting for me, this can probably be a point of inspiration for children of the next generation, that nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter where you are, your clothes, the color of your skin. What matters is what’s in here [pointing to the heart]. And I ski with my heart,” he declared, emotional.
Duel with Olympic Favorite
The fight for gold was intense. The Brazilian overcame the Swiss Marco Odermatt, Olympic champion in Beijing-2022 and considered one of the favorites in Milan-Cortina. The rival finished with silver.
Braathen described the race for the podium as a “war.” According to him, the strategy was to seek the ideal rhythm throughout the run. “I was pulling, pulling, pulling. Always trying to find the speed, find the ‘flow,’ to go down at a really fast pace,” he explained.
The skier also highlighted the technical difficulties of the event, especially the difference in track conditions between the two runs. The snow, he said, becomes “completely different” as the competitors pass, requiring quick adaptation.
“I found the balance. I was skiing with my heart. And when you ski the way you are, everything is possible,” he added.
Flag Change and Personal Affirmation
Before defending Brazil, Braathen competed for Norway. He left the team after conflicts with the local federation over the handling of his career and chose to represent his mother’s country of origin.
Commenting on the conquest, the athlete highlighted the importance of keeping his identity. “The only thing that matters to me is that I keep being who I am. I am the Brazilian skier who became the Olympic champion,” he affirmed.
The result in Milan-Cortina solidifies a historic milestone for Brazil in the Winter Olympics and positions Lucas Pinheiro Braathen’s name as a protagonist in a new phase of the national sport on snow.
Source: brasil247.com